


Unavoidable

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Unforgiven [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 14:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18345521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: When it comes to confrontation, sometimes there ain’t no time like the present.





	Unavoidable

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, Tim’s a hot emotional mess and just needs like fifty hugs. This is probably a day or three after the last bit, and Damian has woken up a few times, to Tim’s none thus far. Dick does not leave Tim’s bedside at any point. His little perch is set up between Tim and Damian’s beds, but that was probably a given. I veered from comics in that Bruce didn’t have amnesia after the garbage with the Joker, just went into hiding/didn’t reappear.

When Tim woke up, he hurt. Everything hurt. His face especially.

He let his eyes crack open, just a little. Saw the floor of the cave. Medical wires. And it took him a minute, to remember what happened. The fear gas. Crane. Damian.

They were on their way to a Wayne gala. An end of the fiscal year celebration, everyone and their unborn child would be there.

But then they saw something on their way to the car. Saw Nightwing collapsed in a goddamn gutter, cover in blood. And despite his anger and hurt and confusion, he wasn’t about to leave his brother to die in a goddamn gutter.

(Not to mention, Damian had run to him almost before Tim had any time to register what, or who, he saw.)

But then after they got Dick safe in the apartment and wounds tended: mayhem. Damian shouting, freaks crashing through their window. Guns, knives. Caught off guard and fighting not only for their own lives, but for their older brother hidden in the other room.

The arrival of Jonathan Crane.

Then tied and thrown in a van. Damian cursing his head off, while Tim himself sneered and mocked in an attempt to throw their captors off guard. It didn’t work, though. Just got him a forcible mouthful of fear toxin. But better him than Damian, he supposed.

A blur after that. Moving, being carried. Damian talking. Damian was the only constant, and Tim intended to keep it that way. Grabbed him as soon as their captors cut their ropes. Focused on him, his voice and his presence alone.

And any other presence who might try to take him from him.

Then sleep. He doesn’t remember how he fell asleep, or even where. Just remembered the bounce of movement, and Damian’s hand in his.

Now…now he’s here. Clear-headed, he thinks, and free of the toxin. In physical pain from injuries, in potentially the safest place on the planet.

But without Damian.

And the thought sends an involuntary jolt through his body as he twists his head up to look around. But there’s instantly a hand on his shoulder and he looks up to the source without a thought.

Dick.

He looks tired and ragged. There’s the start of a beard around his jaw, and dark circles under his eyes. He gives Tim a small, encouraging smile.

Tim looks away from him before he can say anything. But immediately comes across an almost worse sight.

Bruce is pacing the cave nearby, in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He looks almost as tired as Dick does, but that’s nothing new. Bruce’s default state, really.

But in his arms is Damian.

Venom is immediately on Tim’s tongue, because that is _not_ where Damian should be. Damian should be nowhere _near_ his father, just like Dick should be nowhere near either of them. They shouldn’t be in this cave, in this house, with these _people_ –

“Relax, Tim. It’s okay. You’re okay.” Dick whispered gently, hand still on his shoulder, thumb rubbing circles along his collarbone. “You’re safe.”

Tim didn’t look at him, kept his eyes glued to Bruce as he turned for another trail of pacing. He could see Damian’s face now, cheek smushed against Bruce’s chest. The kid was fast asleep.

(Or drugged, Tim’s darker mind supplied. Because Bruce wasn’t beneath doing so. Had drugged them all before.)

In his periphery, he saw Dick glance up too, to check on what Tim was so focused on.

“…Oh.” He mumbled. “Oh, Tim…it’s…I know that’s not what you wanted to see first thing, but it’s not…” Dick shook his head, squeezed Tim’s shoulder. “Damian woke up screaming from a nightmare about an hour ago. We didn’t want to wake you, and I didn’t want to leave you in case you woke up while we tried to help him, so…Bruce took care of him.”

Tim blinked, and watched Bruce run a careful hand up and down Damian’s spine.

“He fell back to sleep about twenty minutes or so ago.” Dick continued. “But with how jumpy he’s been since we brought you two back, Bruce was afraid laying him back down would trigger another nightmare or something, so is…just going to keep him where he is for now.”

“…Oh.” Tim repeated softly. He watched Bruce shift gently back and forth as he walked, keeping Damian at slow rock. He also saw Damian’s hand desperately curled into Bruce’s shirt, even in his unconsciousness. “…Thank you.”

“Happy to.” Dick nodded. Bruce turned again, but this time he glanced over towards the beds, registered Tim was awake. He gave Tim a small, awkward smile, but made no move to relinquish his hold on Damian. Just continued his rotations. “…How you feeling?”

Tim shrugged, and his muscles pulled uncomfortably. “Depends on how you mean, I guess.”

“Physically, for starters.”

“I hurt.” Tim glanced up at him. “And I’m sure I look like shit.”

Dick gave him a dry smile. “You remember anything?”

“Not after they gave me the fear toxin, no.” Tim admitted. “At least, not clearly.”

A moment of quiet, and Tim let his gaze drift back to father and son.

“…They didn’t get him, right?” Tim whispered. “Damian, they…didn’t hurt him?”

“No. They left him with you for the most part.” Dick explained. “And I was able to stop Crane before they gave him any toxin.”

“Good.” Tim mumbled. Another pause. Tim could feel Dick watching him, but he didn’t want to return the stare. He twisted his lips, felt his heart beating. “…Did I…”

Dick tilted his head.

“Did I say something terrible to you, in that warehouse?” Tim asked. He stared down at his hands, began picking at his nails. “I…remember seeing you, I think. And being mad about it. I…remember saying…something? And I just have a feeling it was probably not the nicest thing I’ve ever said to someone rescuing me.”

Dick hesitated a second. “…Don’t worry about it, Tim.”

“Well, that’s a yes if I’ve ever heard one.” Tim exhaled, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry, Dick.”

“Hey, it’s fine, Tim. Really.” Dick promised. Suddenly, his hand covered Tim’s, stopping his nervous habit. Tim glanced up. “Let’s just focus on getting you better right now. Okay?”

Tim watched him for a minute. Glanced over to Bruce, still walking in circles to keep Damian asleep.

Looked back down to his hands. To the IV sticking out of one. The bandages lining up his arms. Took a deep breath, for a deeper sigh.

“Then I guess you and I should talk, huh?” Tim murmured. Dick’s hand immediately retreated, and Tim peeked up at him with a stronger gaze. “Since fixing _us_ is the only way I’m ever going to be fully _better_ again.”

Dick’s face was grave, the new frown on his face deepening by the second.

“We both know that. No sense beating around the bush about it.” Tim pushed.

“Tim…we don’t…” Dick sighed himself. “You need your rest. How about you go back to sleep, and I’ll wake you when Damian…”

“Dick, please.” Tim urged. “We were going to meet for coffee soon anyway.”

Dick shook his head. “You’re recovering, we don’t need to add any more stress to-”

“Would it make you feel better if I let you go get coffee first?” Tim smiled softly. “Give you that excuse to take a minute?”

Dick returned the smile, and for a brief moment, it felt just like old times.

“No, it’s…” Dick looked up, watched Bruce. Knew he was listening. Knew he was just as nervous.

Because one more wrong move, and they lose Tim – and by extension, Damian – forever. For real this time.

“Or how about I start?” Tim offered. “To clear the air – I don’t actually hate you. I know I’ve said and done some things that really make that plausible but…I _don’t_ hate you. I’m just…disappointed.”

“You’re not mad, just disappointed?” Dick smirked. “Good to know, Dad.”

Tim huffed a laugh. “Well, I was also mad. I was furious. I _am_ furious. And just more disappointed than I’ve ever been in my life. Heartbreakingly disappointed.” He looked towards Bruce, who had stopped moving. Still holding Damian, but now stationed a few feet away from the end of Tim’s cot. “How could you do this to us?”

“For your safety.” Bruce whispered, lifting his hand to hold the back of Damian’s head. “It was the Joker, Tim. You know how that goes. And after…after everything. After we just got Damian back, I…didn’t want to risk anyone else.”

Tim stared for a moment. “…And what, keeping Dick away from Damian when he was resurrected, letting Damian and all of us believe Dick was _dead_ , was to protect us too?”

Bruce glanced at Dick. Dick could only shrug apologetically.

“Like I told you at the office, Tim. That was my fault too.” Bruce offered. “And, you’re right. It was a mistake on my part. But Dick had nothing to do with that decision.”

“Of course he did.” Tim pushed. “He’s his own man, he can do anything he wants, _you_ be damned.”

“But he didn’t, and that’s my own fault. Not his.” Bruce countered. “He wanted to come back, please believe me on that. I wouldn’t let him.”

Tim raised an eyebrow.

“…I threatened to hide Damian, if he attempted to return before his mission was complete.” Bruce murmured. He lowered his eyes, and for half a second, Tim thought he might have looked ashamed. “In my mind, I was protecting both him and all of you.”

“But you weren’t.” Tim snapped. “Bruce, you had to know right away that you _weren’t_. Or do you forget how Damian was after you told him Dick was dead?”

Dick closed his eyes and looked away.

“No, I don’t.” Bruce admitted softly. “And Cassandra showed me how he was after you told him about me.”

“And after everything we’ve already been through. Already _actually_ been through.” Tim was starting to work himself up now. Squeezing his hands in and out of fists. “Jason dying, you travelling through time already under the guise of being dead, and Damian so recently…what made you think it’d be totally fine to _lie_ about Dick being gone, and then you disappearing, and leaving us absolutely _alone_?”

Neither man could answer that

“After the life’s Damian already had?” Tim accused sadly. “After the amount of people I’ve already lost for _real_?”

Nothing.

“… _That’s_ what I’m angry about.” Tim slumped back into his pillows. “If you were confused about it.”

Damian let out a gentle snore.

“And that’s just us. I don’t…I have no idea about Cass or Jason or anyone else. Been a little preoccupied to find out, you know?” Tim squeezed his fist one more time, then threw his arm over his eyes. “But even so, I guess. They’re adults. And I know we don’t act it and pretend we’re not and all that but…” A watery inhale. “D and I – we’re just _kids_.”

That was enough for Dick. Still silent, he stepped forward and gathered Tim into his arms. To everyone’s surprise, Tim’s included, Tim allowed it.

“I don’t want to hate you. I _don’t_.” Tim whined, clutching at Dick’s elbow. “But I won’t let you lie to us again. I can’t let you _do_ this to us again. To _Damian_.”

“And no one should expect you to.” Bruce finally whispered, stepping closer. “Not even us.”

“ _Especially_ not us.” Dick added. “Tim, I…I know no amount of apologies is going to fix what we’ve already done to you and Damian, but…I am so sorry. And I will be sorry for the rest of my life.”

“…But an apology isn’t what you want, is it, Tim?” Bruce asked, coming up next to Dick now. Still rocking Damian like a baby. Still acting like the father they’ve all always wanted him to be.

“I don’t know what I want.” Tim mumbled. “I want…stability. I want…to stop stressing every second of every day about where you two are, about whether you’re…you’re too close or too far away.”

A second, to squeeze Dick as hard as he could.

“I just want my dad and my brother back.” He breathed. “I just want Damian to be okay, and safe and…and… _appreciated_.”

Dick glanced up at the little boy in Bruce’s arms.

“I don’t want him taken for granted. I don’t want him forgotten, or ignored or lied to anymore.” Tim listed. His voice was heartbreaking and childlike. “I want him to have his family and those he loves most present, always.” A snotty sniff. “I don’t want him to have to mourn anyone anymore, not like I’ve had to, for real or not.”

“And what do you want for yourself, Tim?” Bruce asked.

Tim started shaking his head before Bruce’s question was even out. Dismissively mumbled: “I don’t matter.”

“Yes.” Bruce gently pushed Dick back, crouched to get into Tim’s line of sight and grab his wrist with the hand not supporting Damian. “You _do_.”

Tim ducked his head, pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.

“You do, Tim, and I’m so sorry that Dick and I have made this situation where you feel like you don’t, or that Damian and his emotions matter more.” Bruce explained. “And I’m sorry for what we did to him, too. What we did to you both, and the whole family.”

Tim let out a deep breath, wiped absently at his eyes. “…I’m sorry I was a jerk all the times you tried to reach out.”

“Tim, you have absolutely _nothing_ to apologize for.” Dick cut in. Bruce nodded in agreement.

Tim kept his gaze low, though, and let the only sound be the cave around them for a moment. “…What do we do now?”

“Now, you rest.” Bruce smiled. “You and Damian both still have injuries we need to take care of first.”

“Then we’ll take it one day at a time.” Dick promised, shifting around Bruce as the elder stood. “Or whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”

He corralled Tim back into the cot, and began to rearrange his blankets, when, ever so quietly, Tim asked:

“Can I…um.” He looked down. “Can I…have Damian please?”

Bruce hesitated for just a second, then smiled and leaned down, gently depositing Damian into Tim’s waiting embrace. Tim instantly engulfed him, ducking his nose into Damian’s hair. Dick finished covering them both with a blanket, and chanced a kiss to both of their temples, lingering for just a moment on Tim’s.

And when he backed away, Tim was grinning softly up at him.

“Get some sleep, little bro.” Dick whispered, returning to his chair. Bruce waited until he sat to give Tim a smile and small wave before turning to his computer. “We’ll be right here.”

Tim nodded and closed his eyes. And he was just on the edge of unconsciousness, milliseconds away from dreamland, when he thought he felt Dick gently take hold of his hand. Felt Damian huff sleepily against his throat. Heard Bruce clacking away on his keyboard.

He fell asleep smiling.


End file.
